VEGETALISMOSHAMANISM AMONG THE MESTIZO POPULATIONOF THE PERUVIAN AMAZON

Doctoral dissertationfor the doctor's degree in humanitiesat the University of Stockholm,to be publicly examined in Englishin room 7, house D, Frescation Thursday, June 5, 1986 at 10 a.m.by

Luis Eduardo Luna

Department of Comparative Religion, Stockholm 1986ISBN 91-22-00819-5

ABSTRACT

In the Amazonian provinces of Peru indigenous shamanisticpractices are preserved among the mestizo population. Prac-titioners who call themselves

vegetalistas

(from which theterm

Vegetalismo

may be formed) believe that certain plants,which they call

doctores

(plant-teachers) have spirits fromwhich knowledge about this and other worlds may be gained,if these plants are ingested under certain conditions invol-ving sexual segregation and a diet that may extend from sixmonths to several years. Several of these plants have pycho-tropic properties, or contain important biodynamic compounds.Two of these plants,

Banisteriopsis caapi

(Spruce ex Griseb.)Morton and

Psychotria viridis

Ruiz & Pavon, are used in thepreparation of

ayahuasca,

a psychotropic brew with the aid ofwhich

vegetalistas

contact the spirit world in order todiagnose and cure illnesses. Other plant-teachers may also beadded to the basic

ayahuasca

preparation.This book presents information about shamanic initiation,and of the spirit world of

vegetalistas.

Shamanic knowledgeand power transmitted to the neophytes have two principalmanifestations: 1) magic melodies or

icaros

which are learnedfrom the spirits and used to perform various shamanic tasks,and 2) a magic substance received from the spirits andcarried by

vegetalistas

in their chests, and which is used inthe extraction of magic darts or

virotes,

shot by evil sor-cerers, and which are believed to be one of the causes ofillness. This book also provides information about

ayahuasca

sessions and the ideas held in the Peruvian Amazon about ill-ness and its treatment.